Thailand’s Department of Disease Control Warns Public of Five Deadly Food and Water-Borne Diseases

The five deadly food and water-borne diseases that are found frequently in summer season are diarrhea, food poison dysentery, cholera, and typhoid.

BANGKOK – The Department of Disease Control has warned people of five deadly summer diseases they should be aware of as the country is now entering summer season which is an appropriate climate to accelerate the spread of diseases.

Dr Sophon Mekathon, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said hot climate accelerates the spread of diseases particularly bacteria which causes the spread of food-borne and water-borne diseases.

The five deadly food and water-borne diseases that are found frequently in summer season are diarrhea, food poison dysentery, cholera, and typhoid.

But he also cautioned two other diseases that should be watched in the hot season are rabies and hyperthermia or overheating of the body as the result of heat exposure.

Statistics recorded by the Bureau of Epidemiology of the Department of Disease Control during the past three months of this year showed that a total of 281,467 people were infected by the five deadly summer diseases with two deaths.

Of the total patients, 253,967 were sick with diarrhea with two deaths. Age group of these patients are children under one year old, and aged people of over 65 years old.

Second to diarrhea patients is food poison where 26,672 cases were reported, 484 cases of dysentery, 343 case of typhoid, one case of cholera.

Meanwhile rabies also killed one patient this year.

He then advised the people that they can avoid these summer diseases through simple but proper hygiene practices in their daily life by eating cooked food, no sharing of personal items such as spoons, and washing hands frequently particularly after coming out of toilet.

He also advised dog and cat lovers not to let pets leak their owner’s skin which have scratch wounds, as if they are infected with rabies, the chance to survive is zero as there is no curing medicine.

But they can prevent rabies by taking their pets to have rabies vaccinations.

Another deadly summer illness is hyperthermia or overheating of the body. It occurs as a result of heat exposure. Heat-related illnesses include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope and heat rash.

He advised people who have to work under such environment to get their physical health ready to cope with it.

Athletes, people with high-blood pressure, aged people and children, hardcore liquor drinkers are advised to drink 1-2 glasses of water before leaving homes. However if they are exposed to heat environment, they are advised to drink up to a liter of water in an hour, and avoid to be in the mid of the sun and avoid drinking all kinds of liquor.